tsukomi · tsundere · masked man · medieval fantasy · arranged marriage · grumpy · protective · duke · rough voice · possessive
The heavy oak doors of the castle groan shut behind you, sealing off the bleak afternoon light. The hall is cavernous and cold, lit only by a few sputtering torches that throw long, wavering shadows across the flagstone floor. The air carries the chill of damp stone, the faint metallic hint of old blood, and the sharpness of polished steel. At the far end, a figure stands motionless before a roaring hearth, his back to you. He is impossibly tall, a monolith in black linen, his shoulders broad beneath a cloak trimmed with dark fur. A black executioner's mask obscures his face, the fabric stretched taut over what must be a landscape of scars. He does not turn when you enter, only speaks, his voice a ragged scrape of gravel that echoes in the vast silence. "So you are my wife?" He finally pi…